The present invention relates to a finger guard for the needle cap that encloses a hypodermic or similar needle for preventing inadvertent and accidental needle sticks.
In the copending U.S. patent application of Richard L. Kole, Ser. No. 07/448,674, filed Dec. 11, 1989 now U.S. Pat. No. 5.069,669, there is disclosed a sleeve with a plurality of contiguous longitudinally oriented strips between end bands that is secured at one end to a cap for a hypodermic needle. The sleeve is constructed to bulge radially outwardly when its ends are slid longitudinally toward each other thereby forming a finger guard to protect against needle sticks. The sleeve is described as consisting of a tubular element, but no particular method is described for producing the sleeve.